Is Changchun UP Optotech Co.,Ltd.'s (SZSE:002338) Recent Stock Performance Tethered To Its Strong Fundamentals?

Changchun UP OptotechLtd (SZSE:002338) has had a great run on the share market with its stock up by a significant 13% over the last month. Given the company's impressive performance, we decided to study its financial indicators more closely as a company's financial health over the long-term usually dictates market outcomes. Particularly, we will be paying attention to Changchun UP OptotechLtd's ROE today.

Return on equity or ROE is a key measure used to assess how efficiently a company's management is utilizing the company's capital. Simply put, it is used to assess the profitability of a company in relation to its equity capital.

View our latest analysis for Changchun UP OptotechLtd

How Is ROE Calculated?

The formula for ROE is:

Return on Equity = Net Profit (from continuing operations) ÷ Shareholders' Equity

So, based on the above formula, the ROE for Changchun UP OptotechLtd is:

7.7% = CN¥115m ÷ CN¥1.5b (Based on the trailing twelve months to March 2024).

The 'return' refers to a company's earnings over the last year. Another way to think of that is that for every CN¥1 worth of equity, the company was able to earn CN¥0.08 in profit.

What Is The Relationship Between ROE And Earnings Growth?

We have already established that ROE serves as an efficient profit-generating gauge for a company's future earnings. We now need to evaluate how much profit the company reinvests or "retains" for future growth which then gives us an idea about the growth potential of the company. Generally speaking, other things being equal, firms with a high return on equity and profit retention, have a higher growth rate than firms that don’t share these attributes.

Changchun UP OptotechLtd's Earnings Growth And 7.7% ROE

On the face of it, Changchun UP OptotechLtd's ROE is not much to talk about. However, the fact that the company's ROE is higher than the average industry ROE of 5.0%, is definitely interesting. Consequently, this likely laid the ground for the decent growth of 17% seen over the past five years by Changchun UP OptotechLtd. Bear in mind, the company does have a moderately low ROE. It is just that the industry ROE is lower. Therefore, the growth in earnings could also be the result of other factors. For example, it is possible that the broader industry is going through a high growth phase, or that the company has a low payout ratio.

We then compared Changchun UP OptotechLtd's net income growth with the industry and we're pleased to see that the company's growth figure is higher when compared with the industry which has a growth rate of 10% in the same 5-year period.

Earnings growth is an important metric to consider when valuing a stock. The investor should try to establish if the expected growth or decline in earnings, whichever the case may be, is priced in. Doing so will help them establish if the stock's future looks promising or ominous. What is 002338 worth today? The intrinsic value infographic in our free research report helps visualize whether 002338 is currently mispriced by the market.

Is Changchun UP OptotechLtd Efficiently Re-investing Its Profits?

Changchun UP OptotechLtd's three-year median payout ratio to shareholders is 14% (implying that it retains 86% of its income), which is on the lower side, so it seems like the management is reinvesting profits heavily to grow its business.

Besides, Changchun UP OptotechLtd has been paying dividends for at least ten years or more. This shows that the company is committed to sharing profits with its shareholders.

Summary

Overall, we are quite pleased with Changchun UP OptotechLtd's performance. In particular, it's great to see that the company has seen significant growth in its earnings backed by a respectable ROE and a high reinvestment rate. Having said that, looking at the current analyst estimates, we found that the company's earnings are expected to gain momentum. To know more about the company's future earnings growth forecasts take a look at this free report on analyst forecasts for the company to find out more.

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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com